Found & Forgotten

Chapter 30

"What do you mean, you haven't finished translating it yet?!" roared Master Sosa. "It's been almost three days and you still haven't worked out how to complete the ritual? We're running out of time!"

Kenji bowed his head, seeing Soseki do the same out of the corner of his eye.

"Gomenasai, Master, but we are not experienced translators. We are doing our best-" Kenji started to explain.

"Your best? Your best!" Master Sosa scoffed. "Your best is not good enough! You'd better have this finished by tomorrow!"

"Hai, Master." Kenji answered, and bowed his head once more, bracing himself for the blow the Master would deal.

Sure enough, he and Soseki found themselves flying through the air, only to collide painfully with the rough stone floor a few moments later. Hurriedly, they exited the room to continue translating the SunSphere manual, leaving Master Sosa pacing around the space they'd just fled.

"First they lose the prisoners, and now they can't even translate the manual," he mused to himself. "What did I do to deserve such a guild of fools? None of them display the slightest bit of competency, not even Kenji. And Soseki, why is he in such a position of authority? I should have them both thrown out." He turned to the framed portrait on the wall behind him. "Father, please forgive what Shin Uchu has become...I promise I will fix this mess. Kasai Jozai is but a few days away. After that, we shall rule the world we both dreamt of."

He turned on his heel and exited the room.

Erza and Gray were forced to hold off their questioning until the five reached Magnolia, because Natsu and Lucy had both fallen asleep on the train. Or rather, more precisely, Lucy had fallen asleep, and Natsu, without the soothing effect of her touch, had sprawled in a nauseous heap along the seat.

Once they had reached Magnolia, they were forced to hold off their questioning again, as the group rushed back to the guild to help the others, leaving Happy to provide a monologue, mostly about fish and Charle, as they walked. Natsu and Lucy's linked hands did not go unnoticed as they entered the guild, however. Mirajane sent a questioning look towards Erza, who responded with a slight nod of her head.

Levy was still hard at work in the library, with Gajeel hovering protectively behind her, when Lucy arrived to help. Natsu, unwilling to leave her, moved to start a conversation with the iron dragon slayer as the two girls started working together.

"Lu-chan! I've almost got a pin point on Shin Uchu's location." Levy informed Lucy. "I've narrowed it down to three areas. I don't know what is in which, but it seems to me that they have more than one base of operations. This is where we were taken," she gestured to point in the forest surrounding part of Magnolia, "when they kidnapped us. We destroyed that, so it won't be there. It's a matter of scouting out the other two locations now."

"That's great Levy-chan!" Lucy answered. "You worked so fast!"

"And so did you, it seems, in more ways than one." Levy winked at her.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, confused.

"Don't think I didn't see you and Natsu holding hands as you walked in here." Levy grinned. "He finally had the guts to confess...again?"

"Ah, not exactly, more like I fainted, and he kissed me, and it kind of escalated from there," Lucy explained with a small smile. "Not the epic romance you're looking for, I'm afraid."

"Nonsense!" Levy exclaimed. "A connection that holds through even memory loss! What could be more romantic than that?"

"I think you've been reading too much teen fiction, Levy-chan," Lucy giggled.

"There's no such thing, Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed, in mock outrage.

"Are you two done with tracking Shin Uchu, then?" Gajeel interrupted.

"Oh, hai! I've got to tell the Master," Levy remembered. "Let's go, Lu-chan."

The bluenette grabbed the blonde's hand and dragged her upstairs, the two dragon slayers following closely behind them. Knocking briefly on Master Makarov's door, Levy chose not to wait for an answer, and instead burst straight in, to the rather odd sight of Mirajane arguing with the Master.

"You can't, the price is too high!" Mirajane was saying.

"We must; we need the information," Makarov reasoned.

"I don't trust him." Mirajane responded. "Asking for something like that...who knows what he could be planning!"

"Leiko is a reliable source of information, and he has helped me out many times before," Makarov pointed out.

"Has he asked for something like this before?" Mirajane frowned at the Master.

"Well, no, but-" Makarov started.

"Leiko, your services are no longer needed." Mirajane curtly addressed the communications lachryma positioned on the table in front of them, shutting it down before Levy could get a good look. Then she turned to the four standing in the doorway with a cheery smile.

"I have tracked Shin Uchu to two possible locations," Levy relayed her findings, holding out the map she'd brought with her. "I think we'll have to split up though."

Lucy stepped back, letting Levy, Mirajane and the Master discuss amongst themselves how to distribute guild members into small teams of equal ability.

"Who is Leiko?" she whispered to Natsu.

"I've never heard of him." Natsu whispered back, half lifting one shoulder in a shrug.

"I wonder what price he wanted?" Lucy posed the question.

"Something Mirajane didn't approve of," Natsu grinned at her.

Lucy didn't dignify that with a response, merely rolling her eyes at the pink haired boy standing beside her, and instead choosing to join the conversation between Master Makarov, Mirajane and Levy.

"So we'll send out three groups, two offensive to the new locations Levy has found, one to scout out the area Levy and Lucy were taken to, and the rest on defence at the guild," Makarov was saying. "We'll have Team Natsu as one of the offensive teams, then Gajeel, Panther-Lily, Mirajane, Levy can be the other."

"Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe can scout out the first location," Mirajane cut in, "and you can remain here with the others to protect the guild and as a base of communications. That should cover everything, now we just need to brief everyone."

"Time for a guild meeting!" Makarov announced.

Ohaiyo minna-san! :D

I guess an apology won't be accepted? How about virtual cookies? ^^;

I know it's been forever since I updated, and I feel really bad, but I've had so much going on, what with exams, and DofE, and life in general. I just haven't had time to write as much!

Anyway, away from my excuses and back to the story ;)

The plot is moving into the final stretch now, I'm fairly sure. I don't know exactly how many chapters are left, since I haven't preplanned them, I just write, but it can't be too many more. I've actually got to think up some amazing final battle, and decide what Kasai Josai does! (I don't plan it - it will be as much a surprise to me as to you guys!)

Not too many questions for this chapter, really. More of a filler, I suppose, information that they needed to gather and an action plan made and such. A little bit of Nalu. Kind of.

Hope you enjoyed it anyway, and I'll try to reduce the wait for the next chapter!

~AA